Elastic-fluid turbine.



UNITED sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. CALLAN, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY.

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Tooll whom it hwy concern:

"' Be it known that I, J OHN G. CALLAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new anduseful Improvements'in Securing the Buckets of Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for securing the buckets of elastic-fluid turbines to the bucket-wheels or other carriers.

In view of the centrifugal strains developed at high speeds it is necessary to provide strong and unyielding fastening devices when separately formed buckets, or segmental bases carrying a plurality of buckets, are attached to the periphery of a bucket-Wheel. In-addition to reslsting centrifugal strains, provision must be made for holding the uckets rigidly in a given plane of revolution,- since any deflection therefrom might wreck the machine by causing the buckets to strike the stationary intermediates.

My invention aims to accomplish the de sired results in a simple and comparatively inexpensive manner. To this end the shank of the bucket, or the segmental base support for a plurality of buckets is provided on one side with a shoulder which engages underneath an overhanging flange along one edge of a groove in the wheel or other carr er., The parts are (prevented from separatin by a fill- 1ng place in the groove after the ucket or segmental base has been drop ed in and slid laterally to engage the shoul der under the flange. The filling is a strip or ribbon of metal wound into the groove; its Width being just sufficient to fill the space between the wall ofthe groove'and the side of thebucketshank, or segmentalfbase. The end of the ribbon is fastened in any suitable manner and the outer convolution is secured at one or more points by staking over its edges the adjacent metal of'the bucket-shank or seg mental base, and of the wheel or other carrier in which the groove is made. The coil of ribbon exerts great resistance to-centrifu necessary gal force, so that the staking is onl to retain the outer layer. The ribbon forms a solid filling, so that the bucket or segmental base is rigidly supported and cannot be deflected from its proper position.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 shows a section of a buc et-wheel having two bucket carriers riveted to its sides, and

- to make it enter said space.

' buckets orsegmental bases fastened thereto in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows one mode of securing the outer end of the ribbon; and Fig. 4 is ase c-.

tion showing a modification.

By the word carrier? I designate either a wheel'having a rim heavy enough to be grooved to receive the buckets, as shown in Fig. 4, or a separate grooved ringl attached to the web 2 of the Wheel proper, as in Fig. 1. In this figure,-two carriers are shown, one on each side of the web, to which they are fastoned by through rivets 3. Each carrier has a hp 4' engaging a groove in the web 2 to re-' lieve the rivets-from shearing strains. In

each carrier is a' peripheral groove, having vertical walls, one of which is undercut to form an overhanging flange 6. The bucket 7 may be separately formed, and provided .with a shank, or several buckets maybe secured to or formed integral with a segmental base; theshank on the base being shown at 8, and constituting a bucket-support. It is narrower than the groove in the carrier, so that it can be readily dropped therein. On.

the side adjacent to the flange 6 the bucket-' I sup ort 8 hasa shoulder 9 adapted to en age easi y but neatly under said flange. T ese interlocking elements resist all the centrifugal strains to which the buckets are Subjected. On the opposite side of the bucket-support 8, between itand the o posite Wall of" the groove, is wound a meta retainer, such as the ribbon 10, of a Width just sufficient to fill the space snugly, so that the edges of the ribbon abut respectively against the bucketsupport 8 and the Wall of the groove, and the part 8 is rigidly supported in the groove and prevented from any lateral play. The outer end of the ribbon is firmly fastened, as, for

instance, by being folded back and abutting against lips 11 staked over from the adjoining portions of the carrier and the bucketsup ort. The coil of ribbon is capable of wit standing enormous centrifugal strains.

- It should be composed of a material that does not easily stretch, so that it can be Wound under considerable tension if preferred. It may be made a trifle Wider than the space it is to fill, so as to require tamping or ramming The outer layer may be fastened at-intervals by staking the metal of the carrier and the bucketsupport, as, indicated at 11-. This ribbon fasteningiseasily and quickly applied, and is reasonable in cost. It is illustrated in Figs-1- and 2, as applied to a wheel havingtwo carriers attached toit; but the invention is equally well adapted for wheels having a greater or less vnumber of grooved carriers, or to those .patent statutes, I have'described the principle of operationof my invention, together with the apparatus which I now'consider to 20 re resent the best embodiment thereof: but

I esire to have it understood that'the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means What I claim as new, and desire' to secure 25 by Letters Patent of the United States, is,'

1. In a turbine, the combination with a grooved bucket-carrier, of buckets mounted in but not filling the groove, and a retainer wound'into said'groove after the bucketsiare 30 mountedinplace. l

2. In a turbine, the combination with a grooved carrier, of a bucket-support received in but not filling the groove, and a retainer Wound into sald groove 1n the space not occupied by said support after the latter is mounted in place. e 3. In a turbine, the combination with a grooved carrier, of a bucket support mounted in but not filling the groove, and a fiat-ribbon wound in the unoccupied space in said groove and of suflicient width to fill said space.

4. In aturbine, the combination with a carrier having a groove, of a bucket-support having a shoulder and received in said groove, and a ribbon wound into and filling the'space between the bucket-support and one wall of' said roove. g

5 In a turbine, the combination with a carrler havlng a groove provided w1th an undercut part, of a bucket-support'having a".

portion engaging with the undercut part of said groove, and a retainer wound into said groove. 6. In a grooved carrier, of bucket-supports mounted therein, a ribbon wound into the groove to retain said supports, andalips staked over the ribbon to secure it in place.

In witness whereof, I have'hereuntoset my hand-this third day of October. 1906.

JOHN; G. (JALLAN.

WVitnesses:

JOHN A. MOMANUS, Jr., HENRY O. WESTENDA'RP.

turbine, the combination with a 

